Light
by A-GIRL-NAMED-BILLY
Summary: Draco has a friend to help him through the his task in HBP. Her name is Moira and she's a little crazy but pretty cool. Thanks to all or you who are reading this and I love that I have an international audience. I feel special. Happy Reading & Reviewing!
1. Introduction

Chapter 1: Introduction

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, looking at her with a mixture of annoyance and worry. She wasn't a well publicized face because as far as the Wizarding World was concerned she was still perfectly harmless but he was certain that, even in his old age, Dumbledore would see why she was there and who she was working for. Sure she was apparently a member of the Order of the Phoenix but Dumbledore was no fool, he would realize why she was really there and there would be trouble. "If you're caught..."

"I'm here to help you," she said in answer to his first question, "and as to the possibility of me being caught forget about it. I won't be." She sounded in-charge, as always, completely carefree, which is why most of the other Death Eaters thought she was completely insane.

"Who sent you? The Dark Lord said I'm to do it on my own but Snape's already offered to help."

"I came because I know the Dark Lord doesn't expect you to do this on your own and I'm going to make sure it gets done."

"I don't need any help," Draco told her flatly, ignoring her slight. "I can do it and you can tell him that when you see him. I've got a plan."

"Hostile are we? Even to Voldemort?" Draco flinched at the name, then looked at her, puzzled. He had never heard a Death Eater say the Dark Lord's name. "Hm, your plan must be a damn good one if you're so confident. Why don't you let me in on it. I'll help you, one killer to another." The work 'killer' stung. It was as if she was mocking him by prematurely giving him that title.

"I know what you're doing." This statement almost made Moira laugh. Just a minute ago he had been asking her what she was doing and now suddenly he knew.

"Now this I gotta hear," she said more to herself, ignoring the fact that she was cutting across him as she sat down. They were in his dormitory at Hogwarts, which was deserted except for the two of them.

"You and Snape. You're trying to take this from me. Well it's my task. He gave it to me and he wouldn't have given it to someone he thought couldn't do it." Moira raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side giving him a 'really? Ya think so?' look. "Yes!" he said forcefully to her questioning look. "Yes I think so because if he gave it to someone incompetent they'd be sure to blow it and Dumbledore would make sure no one ever got close to doing what I'm going to do."

"I didn't say he thinks you're incompetent. Crabbe and Goyle are incompetent. They couldn't pull this off because they're idiots and they'd be the ones to blow it. You on the other hand, you're scared and that's why you're going to mess it up. I'm not looking to steal your family's glory. What I'm saying is that you're gonna need help with this and I want to be the one to help you. Snape needs to remain innocent to the Ministry for as long as possible so it's better if I help."

"Did he send you? The Dark Lord?"

"No," Moira answered, "I came on my own. He doesn't even know I'm here and he's not going to find out."

"How can you be sure?"asked Draco slowly, knowing she would give him an answer he was sure to find crazy.

"Well I'm not going to tell him am I? As far as he's concerned your family, Snape and me are the only ones who know and that's how it's going to stay. Your Aunt Bellatrix is not happy that both Snape and I know. She doesn't trust either of us." Draco just looked at her.

"Let me do it on my own," he said after a pause. "I can do it." Moira snorted and looked away, annoyed but then quickly looked back at him.

"And what do I do? Sit around here and clean up you mess? Cover for you when you make a mistake? No. The Dark Lord is counting on you not being able to do it and if you can't he will retaliate. He's instructed me and Snape to stay out of it until the time comes, but if I can help you and make it look like you're doing it on your own he'll forgive you." She was grinning.

"Let me try," Draco demanded. "Why are you helping me? You don't even like me."

"Personal satisfaction," Moira said simply. "I dislike you less than I dislike Dumbledore. I don't need credit, I have enough of that already even if I annoy the Dark Lord. I want to be involved in this and I'd rather it be me helping you than Snape."

"Give me one chance."

"Why are you so reluctant to accept help? You're gonna die if you do this on your own, Draco."

"I'm in Slyth-,"

"Don't give me that! It's crap and you know it. Don't let your house define you that's not what it was designed to do. As students change so do the houses. They weren't put into place to define you. They were set up so you'd have somewhere to live with kids who are in some way or another similar to you. The students define the houses. Don't you see that? I get it, you're in Slytherine, you're supposed to be cunning, and sly, and you shouldn't have a conscience, but it'll take more than that to complete this task. But if you're not gonna shut up about wanting to do it on your own, fine. Good luck to you." She brushed past him, walked out of the dormitory and Draco saw her disappear, literally, as she put a Disillusionment Charm on herself. He stared after her for a moment or two, his eye cold and hard but then his gaze faltered and he sat down on his bed, feeling miserable.

Disclaimer: Don't Own

AN: What do you think? R&R please.


	2. Draco and Moira

Chapter 2: Draco and Moira

Draco saw, or thought he saw Moira from time to time over the next few months. But it was only glimpses. He never saw her for long, but sometimes he'd see her out of the corner of his eye as he walked in the corridors. He was usually preoccupied, thinking of that damn cabinet or his plans for the necklace but somehow the thought that he had seen her always seemed to snap him out of it.

Crabbe and Goyle noticed that something was wrong with him, but they weren't the types to have emotional discussion with...come to think of it, Moira had been right. They were incompetent, hard to discuss anything with because they were just that thick.

He practically lived in the Room of Requirement, and he guessed that she had made that place her temporary home, but for all he knew she could have been curled up in a corner in Dumbledore's study because he never saw her in the Room and she was just that crazy.

Though he'd never say it aloud, would hardly even admit it to himself, Draco was starting to regret rejecting Moira's offers to help. She knew magic beyond anything he'd ever heard of and that seemed to be what he needed to make this happen. She wasn't much older than him, 7 or 8 years at most, but she was much smarter, much cleverer, much crazier, but all the more knowledgeable because she did things others wouldn't and therefore learned things others couldn't. He needed that information now but he had foolishly told her no. Damn his pride and his stupidity!

Moira had let Draco see her several times since their last conversation. Not for long enough, and not often enough, for him to be able to speak to her but enough for him to know she was still around. Of course she did not spend all her time pseudo-stalking him; she had other things to do for Dumbledore and other things to pretend to do for Voldemort.

She was so good at this, this tricking the Dark Lord while working for the "White Wizard Dumbledore" (her affectionate nickname for him) in reality. She had everyone fooled, even Bella had gotten better about trusting her. When Bella wasn't acting like a person gone way out on the Limb of Insanity they actually got on quite well, as long as the subject of muggles didn't come up because then Moira was acting the part of the Wizard supremacist, which she certainly wasn't.

As far as room and board went, she bounced back and forth between Malfoy Manor (which she disliked mostly because Greyback was always hanging round there; the rest she could deal with but he was not only insane and creepy but reeking of blood, sweat, and dirt) the Room of Requirement, and occasionally a cot in Dumbledore's study, where she slept if she, Dumbledore, and Snape talked late into the night and she was not alert enough to trek back to the Room of Requirement. She checked up on Aberforth as well on occasion, with whom she honestly got on with well because they were both a little off center as far as sanity goes.

She knew Draco wasn't making any headway with that cabinet. She had seen it, experimented with it briefly while Draco was eating or doing something else, and determined roughly what it would take to fix the damage, though of course she couldn't be sure until she tried, which she wouldn't. She wondered why Draco didn't get a message to her. She could see the look in his face when he caught those brief glimpses of her, could see that he was tired, sickly, and somewhat scared but he didn't reach out to anyone for help. On one hand she thought he was an idiot for not asking for help when he needed it and his life depended on it, but on the other she had to give him credit for sticking to his original proposal. She saw her own determination in him, which she could not deny congratulating him for.

Disclamier: Don't Own

AN: very short I know. Let me know if you guys noticed the fact that the paragraphs are kind of supposed to be roughly similar in order and content. I tried to do it subtly but ehh, just a little experiment. What do you guys think of Moira and her character thus far? You don't really know much about her but you'll learn. R&R please.


	3. Help Me

Chapter 3: Help Me

Moira heard about Katie Bell's accident and knew precisely what had happened. Dumbledore had sent a message to her and Snape, asking them to go to his office, which they did, and he explained what had happened, even showed then the necklace.

"Wow," Moira said on seeing the object. She leaned closer to it, pulling her long black hair away from her face. Dumbledore watched her with concern, making sure she didn't touch the cursed object and Snape merely watched as she examined. "He's got guts," she continued. Dumbledore looked at her questioningly while Snape looked surprised. They waited for her to explain herself. "Think about it. He gave this to the barmaid, Madam Thing, whatever, ordered her to hand it to Miss Katie Bell who then had to walk all the way back up to the castle with it, get it though security, which wouldn't have happened anyway because someone would have realized it's cursed but if it had...you see what I mean. Then she'd have had to take it all the way up here and persuade you to what? Wear the thing? It's foolish. I can't see it working out at all but he showed either guts or ignorance in trying it."

"He is desperate. The Dark Lord has threatened to kill the boy and his entire family if he is unsuccessful, both Draco and the Dark Lord himself have told me so," Snape put in.

"Go talk to him," Dumbledore said to Moira, "Brave or stupid does not matter to me. It is the lives he could damage if his desperation to succeed urges him to another rash plan." Moira nodded and left the office.

She walked down the moving spiral staircase, past the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office and then down corridors, staircases, and passageways to the Slytherin Common Room. The Disillusionment Charm was old habit now. Of course Dumbledore knew she was there, but she still needed to appear convincing for Draco, nor did she want to deal with awkward looks and questions from inquisitive students. So, under the cover of her Charm, she walked, thinking,_ What to do... what to do?_ She could of course offer Draco help again and then make Draco believe that she was helping him and therefore save him from the Dark Lord, while making it appear that Draco was doing everything on his own, or she could wait to see what Draco would do when she entered. How she would react if he asked her to help him she was not quite sure as she entered the Common Room. She looked around, walked upstairs to Draco's dorm, assessed that he was not there and resolved that he was in the Room of Requirement.

She paced three times in the hallway before the tapestry of dancing trolls, thinking to herself that she needed a place to hide something in. Of course she didn't, but she knew enough Legilimency to know that was usually what Treylawney thought when she went into the room and it had worked for Moira the other times she had gone in to see the work Draco had been doing on the cabinet.

A door appeared on her third walk past the tapestry and the second she saw it she grabbed hold of the handle and pushed it open. She could hear someone moving in the room and she knew it was Draco, but she kept her Charm on just in case. If it was Draco, he would be able to see her, she had ensured that as she put this particular brand of Charm on herself.

She heard the door of the cabinet close, some muttering from Draco, definitely him, it was his voice, a whooshing sound and then silence. "Draco," she said, turning the corner to see him standing before the large Vanishing Cabinet. The boy almost literally jumped out of his pale skin as he drew his wand and turned to face her. She smiled, amused that her appearance had given him such a start. "I heard about the fiasco with the necklace. You're damn lucky you weren't caught," she continued.

He stared at her, the look on his face asking her the question he couldn't force from his lips. Pride was part of it. He was a Slytherin, a Malfoy and he should have been able to handle this, but he couldn't and he knew it and he knew he needed help. The other part was fear. He was afraid she would turn him away, or worse, turn him in to the Dark Lord and then his whole family would be in for it. She was smart enough to figure it out. He could not ask her.

"No." That was it. She turned away from him and began walking back toward the door. He spun around and and raised his wand to the cabinet once more. His mutter and the second whooshing sound made Moira turn in time to see Draco open the cabinet again. She could tell just from watching him look at the object in his hand that whatever he had been trying to do had not gone as planned. He turned and tossed an apple at her, which she caught. She looked at it curiously, turned it over in her hands and saw what had upset him. A good chunk of the apple was missing and she knew it had been whole upon entering the cabinet a few minutes earlier.

Moira approached the cabinet, stood next to Draco, who seemed to have his jaw clenched tight. He hadn't moved since tossing the apple to her so his back was to her as she looked at the cabinet. This was her chance to inspect the cabinet more thoroughly. Why had it taken a piece of the apple? Why could Draco only get part of the apple back out again? Shouldn't it have been all or nothing? And finally: Where did the other piece of the apple go and could they get it back? "Wow," Moira said simply.

Draco sniffed, let out a shaky breath and said thickly, "What?"

She sighed, "Someone really messed this up, that's all." He looked at her and she turned so that she stood in front of him, her back now to the broken cabinet. "That's all. You'll figure it out." She clapped him once on the shoulder and made to leave again but he caught her gently by the arm.

"Help me." What else could he say? He couldn't fix this cabinet and his first idea had blown up in his face. He couldn't get Death Eaters into Hogwarts or kill Dumbledore without her help. He wasn't even sure he wanted either of those things to happen at all, let alone know that he was the cause of both of them. "I can't do this and I don't want to die." Her eyes stayed fixed on his face, but then flicked down to where his hand was still holding on to her arm. His eyes followed her gaze and he let her go.

"You said you don't want Snape or I to take the credit away from your family-,"

"We won't be alive to complain about being meaningless to him if you don't help me!" He was flustered and terrified and unsure and Moira didn't particularly like the guy but she didn't want to see someone so young go down like this. She considered for a moment, her dark brown eyes averted from his grey ones, biting her lower lip gently. Then she sighed and told him, "I'll be here tomorrow to help with the cabinet. You give this Dumbledore thing one more go and if all else fails when the other Death Eaters get here one of them will finish him off." She said the words without flinching and Draco did not look entirely pleased but he nodded. "Go get some rest," Moira put her hand on his shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded again and walked past her, leaving her alone with the cabinet and all the other forbidden junk laying around the room.

Disclamier: Don't own

AN: tell me what you think.

Sorry guys for the lack of update in the past two days. My house has been out of power completely as have half the buildings in my area due to a monster storm. Seriously, it only lasted like 20 minutes but it was a total beast and it broke trees and power lines all over the place. We only got it back at 2am today :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter, Read and Review!


	4. With Dumbledore

Chapter 4: With Dumbledore

"He asked me to help him," Moira told Dumbledore. She had stayed in the room until she knew Draco was far enough away that their paths wouldn't cross as she returned to the Headmaster's office. While waiting she had put the apple back into the cabinet, repeated Draco's first spell, waited a few moments, repeated his second spell, and opened the door. More of the apple was missing. So it wasn't Draco's power, or lack thereof, though it could have been his spell but she doubted it. The cabinet itself was dysfunctional in some way and she and Draco would be working to figure out exactly what was wrong with it and how to fix it.

"What did you tell him?" Dumbledore asked, his voice quiet and calm as usual.

"At first he just looked at me. His expression said it and I told him no. But he's terrified and so when he asked me, really asked me, I told him I'd help with the cabinet but not with the plan to kill you. Snape's got that covered right?" Dumbledore nodded.

"I do not want Death Eaters in my school." Moira nodded.

"The cabinet's a precaution, something Draco's come up with on his own, a backup plan. It's supposed to create a diversion. While he kills you, Death Eaters will also be in the school. Tom will know, well think, that Draco killed you and no one will mention that it was Snape. They can then pin it on a different Death Eater for the rest of the Wizarding World to frown at. I don't think Tom would object to that. Then he'd have a student at Hogwarts as well." Dumbledore looked at her, seemingly shocked that she'd be alright with what she was saying. "What? I know him. You know him, you know he wouldn't mind having Snape, me, the Carrows and Draco all at the school, able to report to him. Snape and I wouldn't of course and Draco would be to scared to so all you have to worry about is those other idiots and Snape and I will be able to deal with them easily enough. We're not going to fix that cabinet tomorrow. If I can help it we won't fix it at all."

"Do not let him hurt himself for this cause," said Dumbledore, "as I said to Snape, his soul is not yet so damaged..."

"He's really young," Moira said quietly, "That's why I said I'd help him because he doesn't know what he's doing and he shouldn't have to know what killing someone feels like, especially not at sixteen."

"You are easily the most sympathetic Death Eater I've ever met." Dumbledore smiled at her.

"Yes. It was my idea to sign up for this. Not yours," she said sarcastically. Dumbledore chuckled.

"No, of course not," he said.

Moira sighed, her thoughts returning to their serious conversation. "I'll do what I can to prevent him from actually fixing the cabinet or hurting someone else while trying to get to you."

"Keep him safe too, Moira. I do not wish him harm. He's a frightened teenage boy surrounded by the worst possible influences, barring yourself and Severus."

She nodded, then said, "I know. It's not an excuse for his 'I'm better than everyone' attitude but I'll keep him safe." She paused, considering, then continued, "I think I'll go to bed now."

"Alright. See you tomorrow." Moira turned and left Dumbledore sitting at his desk. He started shifting papers around as she left and she wondered what he was looking for as she walked down the corridor to the Room of Requirement, where she would sleep. Still under cover of her Disillusionment Charm, she checked the Dark Mark, burned into the skin on her forearm.


	5. I Don't Know

Chapter 5: "I don't know"

Draco woke up the next morning feeling much better than he had in a long time and it took him a few moments to remember why. As he pushed the emerald bedsheets off himself he remembered that Moira had agreed to help him with the cabinet and he actually smiled. Of course she had said only the cabinet, but perhaps he could convince her otherwise. He would have to do it slowly though; he could not go from 'no don't help me at all' to 'Help me with everything' in one night.

He dressed quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else in his dorm and walked through the Common Room and up to the Great Hall for something to eat before he cut his first class of the day to go work on the cabinet. He ate alone, then grabbed a few pieces of toast to bring with him to the Room for Moira. On the way up the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall, Draco saw Potter, Granger, and Weasley coming down for breakfast. Potter was watching him intently and he had half a mind to ask him what his problem was but decided that he could not be held up. He ignored them and walked away.

Moira was sitting opposite the entrance to the Room when he got there. He looked at her quizzically and she just looked back. "Why are you out here?"

"You can't get into the room if I'm using it as a bedroom that no one is supposed to be able to find," she told him simply. "So when I woke up at ten to seven this morning I just came out here to wait for you."

"Okay," said Draco and he held out his free hand to help her to her feet. Now it was Moira's turn to look mildly puzzled. "I won't bite you," he assured her, "come on." She took his outstretched hand and he pulled her up. "Toast?"

"What?" Moira asked, now looking downright confused.

"Do you want some toast?" he repeated.

"I heard you. But, since when are you the type to help people off the ground and bring them food?"

"I...I'm not sure," and he put the toast into her hands and started walking up and down the hall. And he honestly wasn't sure. He paced around and she just stood where she was, looking on. When the door appeared in the stone wall, Draco turned to her, "Come on," he said quietly. He pulled the door open and waited for her to walk in ahead of him.

Moira nodded, walked past him and said, "Thanks for the toast." She took a bite of one of the pieces as she entered the room. Draco walked ahead of her after he made sure the door was locked.

"It's back here," he said.

"I remember." Draco looked over his shoulder at her as she ate another bite of toast. She did not look back at him, but preferred to inspect the large piles of junk gathered all over the room. He stopped in front of the cabinet and looked at her, waiting. "What are you thinking?" she asked, looking up at the top of the cabinet. He opened his mouth as if to say something but seemed unable to find the words. "What's wrong with it?" When he did not answer, she looked at him. "Draco. What's wrong with the cabinet?"

"Uh...well I." He swallowed and looked away from her. She took a step closer to him. "I don't know alright!" he yelled in frustration as he looked back at her.

"You've been trying to fix this thing and you haven't got a clue what's wrong with it?" Her voice was perfectly calm, perhaps a little exasperated.

"Somethin' like that. I've been trying different things to try and fix it though. Part of it was completely smashed when I found it. I thought that was all that needed fixing but it wasn't."

"How can you try anything without first knowing what it is that needs fixing? Please tell me you're terrified and that's why you're being so thick." He glared at her.

"Remind me again why people don't get along with you?"

"Don't be such a cocky bastard." He was one to tell her about not getting along with people. She had seen the way he dealt with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Crabbe, and Goyle. Even his own friends weren't entirely on his side. Maybe that was why she was here, trying to help him.

"Oh that's rich, coming from you. You're the queen of cocky."

"That's more than a little dichotomous Draco. Queen of what now?"

"Oh shut up will you?"

Moira dropped her toast on the ground, grabbed Draco by the front of his robes and pushed him roughly against the front of the cabinet. "Listen. I don't have to be here. I didn't make an Unbreakable Vow. I don't have to stay. In fact, I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm risking quite a lot to help you, kid. You're welcome." All the time she had had his shoulder blades pressed against the engraved wood of the cabinet Draco had been protesting, worried that she would damage the cabinet further. She let him go and he stepped away and immediately began inspecting the cabinet. Moira checked her watch. They were awkwardly silent in the minutes that followed. He looked up at her again. "It's nearly 9. You need to go to class."

"I thought I'd stay here and we'd work on this." He indicated the cabinet, but she shook her head.

"You need to go to class because maybe they'll teach you something there that will help you."

"I figured you'd know what I don't. And I haven't got my things."

"I do know what you don't but that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn it. And this is the Room of Requirement; just wish your stuff here and there it'll be. I'll stay here and make sure the Room is open to you and only you and I'll see you at break."

By the look on his face it was apparent that he did not want to go but he didn't argue. A bag appeared next to him as he apparently thought of the things he would need for his lessons that day. He picked it up, put it over his shoulder and came to stand directly before her. "We're gonna have to get along to do this." She nodded. "I'm sorry. That was rude and I'll try not to be such a cocky bastard anymore."

"We were both wrong. I'm sorry, too. Partners and potential friends?" She held out her hand for him to shake.

He smiled at her. "Yes. Both." They shook. "Thank you for being here."

"Oh, don't get all sentimental and friendly on me now!" She let go of his hand and pushed his shoulder playfully.

"Is that how it is?" He pushed her back.

"Yes," she said, holding him steady to prevent him continuing their playful fight. "Now go to class."

"See you later," he said and she pushed him out the door. "That does't count."

"The hell it doesn't." She grinned evilly at him and closed the door before he could protest.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: haha I like them, even when they're fighting they're cool. Read and review. By the way guys, want to know what I realized a few days ago? Peeves was the one who damaged the Vanishing Cabinet. Remember? Nick asked him to to get Harry out of trouble with Filch in CoS. Just thought I'd point that out.


	6. Partners

Chapter 6: Partners

"I don't have a class now. It's a free period." She stared at him and he expected she was doing some very subtle Legilimency. This was true. She looked over his schedule once, then turned away, back towards the cabinet.

"Did you learn anything that might help figure out what's wrong with this thing?" He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Pity they don't have a Repairing Magical Objects instead of that Care of Magical Creatures rubbish."

"You don't like Care of Magical Creatures?" It had been one of her favorite classes when she was at school.

"No. It's insane. The 'creatures' are either monsters or flobberworms. Even the book we had third year was vicious. I was attacked by a hippogriff that year and the following year we had to raise these mad things...something skroots they were called."

"Blast-Ended Skrewts? Those things are mad."

"And the professor is mad too. Hagrid, he's called. He's half giant and-,"

"I read that in the _Daily Prophet_. What nonsense right? People are so judgmental. Hagrid never hurt anyone, never would either."

Draco stopped. "You...What? You know Hagrid?"

"He's a little extreme and maybe doesn't have the best idea of what kids should be dealing with, but he's a good person. Yeah, I know him. We always got along really well when I was at school here. You were attacked by a Hippogriff? What did you do?"

"What did _I _do? That thing put a huge gash down my arm. That brute attacked me."

"Come on, Draco. You can't expect me to believe that. Hippogriffs don't attack unless you give them a reason to. Didn't you move away when he didn't bow."

"He did bow."

"Then you insulted him, or hurt him somehow." It wasn't a question.

He stammered for a moment, then said, "Why are we even talking about this. Let's get down to fixing this cabinet."

Moira made sure Draco went to class and over the next few months, he learned not to ask her how to proceed with killing Dumbledore. She maintained that it was his task and that she had only volunteered to help him with the cabinet. He never told her about the poisoned mead he had indirectly given to Slughorn. The first tine she heard of it was just after Valentine's Day.

She hadn't been expecting to meet Draco that evening because she had told him she has business elsewhere, which was perfectly true. The Dark Mark on her arm had burned and she had gone to Malfoy Manor to see what was the matter. She had been given instructions on her next task and was plotting how best to ignore them but make it look like the task had been completed on her way back to Hogwarts. She entered under cover of her Disillusionment Charm and walked to the Room of Requirement, planning to talk to Dumbledore the next morning. It was late, and she could do with some rest.

It surprised her to find out that the room was already in use when she got there. She had walked past it three times, concentrating on making to Room change into a place where she could sleep undisturbed but when she turned around, expecting to see a door, there was only a stone wall. Thinking that it must have been Draco using the Room, she concentrated as she always did when entering the Room to see him. After her last walk past it, she turned and saw the door. "Hello?" she said into the room. She could hear someone in there and she followed the sounds, thinking that it couldn't have been Draco. If it had been, he would have answered her. Her Disillusionment Charm made her invisible to everyone but she had made it so that only Draco would be able to hear or see her.

Moira turned a corner to see Draco sitting with his back against the cabinet. He had his knees curled up against his chest, with his arms around them, his face buried in his arms. He was crying. Moira looked at him, wondering what to do. She undid her traveling cloak and set it down, then walked over to him. He did not look up as she knelt in front of him. "Draco? What's wrong?" He sniffed and seemed to try to pull himself together, but did not raise his head. "Hey," Moira put her hand on his shoulder and lowered her head so that if he raised his only an inch or so, she would see his eyes.

"I'm afraid," he said finally, looking up at her.

She swallowed, "Of course you're afraid. You'd be an idiot not to be."

"You aren't afraid of him and you're not an idiot. You saw him today and you came back now just the same as when you left."

"Well I'm unusual," she explained, "And I know how to deal with him." She ventured a small smile.

"I can't - I can't do this. I don't know how. And he'll kill me if I don't."

Moira looked down, thinking. She shook her head. "You shouldn't have to. He's punishing your father by asking you to do this. If you can't, it'll still get done. Snape will probably do it but that's why we're repairing this cabinet isn't it? So you'll have backup if you can't finish him."

"I'm not even sure I want to."

She looked up at him. "You're too young to kill anyone, least of all Albus Dumbledore. I mean think about it, killing him - he's the reason Harry's been able to do so much already. Harry's the symbol for them but Dumbledore's the brains of the operation. Killing him kills hope, a lot of it. Of course you don't want to do that. See? You're not as Slytherin as you think."

"I'll see him over the Easter Holidays," Draco said, looking to his left, away from her. "I don't want to go."

"I'll be there," she assured him taking her hand off his shoulder and sitting on the ground. "You'll be alright." He looked at her, just looked. His eyes were ringed in red from crying. "Come on now. Crying doesn't suit you. Stop it."

He smiled and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. "Thanks," he said. "What did he want? Why did he call you?"

"You want to talk about Tom?"

"Tom?"

"The Dark Lord's real name is Tom. Well, was Tom I guess, before he went crazy." Draco laughed.

"You call him by his given name? Wow, I bet that goes over well." Moira laughed too.

"Better that than Captain Crazy I suppose." He stared at her, his eyes wide. "He wants me to find out what you're up to next," she said it before she thought it through. Draco looked panicked again. "Uh...I mean...he heard about the necklace and the mead and well..." she clamped her mouth shut before she made it worse.

Draco was breathing hard, like he had just run a mile as he said, "You - I - What are you gonna do?"

"Oh," Moira said, "That's the easy bit. I won't tell him anything. I can just lie."

"You can't _lie _to the Dark Lord. He'll know you're lying and then we'll both be in for it," Draco protested, getting to his feet and beginning to pace.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever I say to him will not get you in trouble with him. I don't want you to be in trouble with him. The most important things you have to concentrate on right now are going to your lessons and fixing that cabinet." She spun around on the floor to watch him pace.

He turned and looked at her. "You'll be risking a lot if you lie to him to protect me. He doesn't like me or my family anymore, remember?" She stared at him. "What? You're telling me you don't care? Three months ago _you _didn't even like me. You can't tell me you're risk making him angry just to keep me safe."

She stood up and walked to stand right in front of him. "Yes, Draco. I will keep you safe." What was he supposed to do? Argue with her? Absolutely not. There was a pause between them, then she said, "You should go to sleep."

"You too," he told her. "See you tomorrow?" She nodded and he turned and left the room.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: Good times. Read and Review.


	7. Diagon Alley

Chapter 7: Diagon Alley

Moira left the day before the Eater Holidays began. She spent that day at Diagon Alley, walking around the shops and talking to the Weasley twins at their store.

"How've you been?" one of them asked. Moira turned around to face him.

"I'm alright," she smiled at him. They had been at Hogwarts together, but she was six years older than they were. She had really met the twins through the Order of the Phoenix. The one she was talking to hugged her and after an awkward pause she hugged him too, but he pulled away.

"Ah," he said, "Sorry. You don't like those do you?" She shook her head as the second twin snuck up behind her.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off somewhere pissing off You-Know-Who?"

"Way to make a customer feel welcome," Moira said sarcastically. She liked the twins, both of them. They were funny and despite not having actually finished school, very smart, very good at magic.

"This stuff's supposed to be for kids who are still in school. You're too old." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Which one's which? I can never tell you two apart."

"Fred, George," said Fred, pointing at himself and then at his brother.

"Well, in that case, Fred, I am not that old and that is a terrible way to make a sale-"

"Ah come here! You know we love you!" he hugged her and picked her up off the ground. She rolled her eyes at George as Fred put her back down.

"A little too much I think."

"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" George asked.

"Got a free day. Well...sort of. The Easter Holidays start tomorrow and I don't have to be anywhere till then so I thought I'd drop by and see you two."

"Shall we show you the sights?" asked Fred.

"And what about your store? You're just gonna leave it?"

"We have employees," George said. "They can hold the fort for a while. We wouldn't miss the chance to show you Diagon Alley's finest."

"Alright then."

"Excellent," they said together. Moira rolled her eyes at them. "You know you love when we do that," Fred said.

"Twins," she said under her breath.

"Come on then," said George, taking her by the arm and leading her out of the shop. They walked with her up the street, talking and laughing together and trying to ignore the posters of Death Eaters and the large purple papers pasted to every shop window. Diagon Alley looked empty compared to what it used to be. There were very few people outside and those they saw were hurrying to their next destination, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Moira, Fred, and George walked arm in arm with Moira between the twins, trying to lighten the mood but to no avail.

"Drinks on me?" Fred asked, leading them to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Absolutely not," Moira replied, and in answer to the twins questioning looks she said, "because I never let men buy me drinks. That situation comes with a this-is-a-bad-decision warning right on it." They boys laughed as they entered the pub. True to her word, she did not let them buy her drinks but they did sit and drink for some time. "Ugh. I have to go. I've got important stuff to do tomorrow," she said. George asked for the bills.

As they walked back toward Fred and George's shop, George turned to Moira. "Here," he held out his fist, which was clearly holding something he wanted her to take. She put her hand under his and he dropped several gold coins into her palm. "Ha. Now we've paid for your drink."

"Moira blinked at the money in her hand, then glared up at George. "You are very frustrating!" she chucked the money at him while he and his brother laughed. "I'm not taking it."

"Neither are we," they said together.

"Then it's just going to lay on the ground," her voice was resolute but now it was a test of wills. None of them would touch the money.

"That's alright. Charity," Fred said, "Now someone else can go and get the same stuff you got. She rolled her eyes, inwardly laughing at their playful bickering.

"I have to leave now," Moira said, "And I will not take your money."

"Ah well, win some, lose some," George said. He pulled her into a hug, kissed the top of her head and let her go again. Before she could move, Fred had done the same thing.

"Thank...you?" she said, rubbing at the spot where they had kissed her.

"You are the queen of social awkwardness, love. Goodnight." George said. He turned and went inside.

"I've been told I'm the queen of something else recently," she laughed, thinking back on Draco's oxymoronic statement, "Goodnight." Fred nodded and followed his brother.

Moira took a deep breath before concentrating hard on the long driveway that led up to Malfoy Manor and turning on her heal into the compression of Apparition.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: Nice comic relief. A bit of relaxation in the middle of the story. Nice I think. Read and Review


	8. No Explanation

Chapter 8: No Explanation

Moira looked around, seeing nothing but darkness as her eyes adjusted. She turned, made out the huge black gate, and started toward it. She raised her right hand as she approached and the gate opened, seemingly of its own accord. She did the same thing as she drew nearer to the front door. Upon entering the house, she immediately appreciated the warmth it provided.

She saw Narcissa and their eyes locked for a moment. Maybe they would talk later. Naricssa was the only one in the house who knew that Moira had been at Hogwarts. As far as she knew Tom's instructions had come out of his knowledge that she was good at getting into places she didn't belong. Moira had fed her the story that she was going there for no other purpose than to help Draco.

"Moira," said Tom's voice. She looked away from Narcissa and into his eyes. "How good to see you." He gave her what was probably supposed to be a warm smile, but Tom could never manage friendliness. It was one of the key flaws in his character, one of the reasons he was the way he was.

"Hey," she greeted him, "How goes it?"

"Not as good as I would like, but the plan progresses I expect?"

"Of course," she answered. _Typical Tom. Don't ask about me. I don't even care how I am, why should you? _Moira thought. 

"Moira!" Bella's voice reached her ears.

"Long time no see, Bella," she said moving forward as she removed her traveling cloak.

"How've you been?" Bella asked eagerly, very close to Moira.

"Fine."

"And how is my nephew?" she whispered, her breath on Moira's neck. _Really, Bella. Do you not know personal space? I should introduce you sometime. _So Narcissa's big mouth and Bellatrix brown nose had been the reasons why Tom had wanted her to find out what Draco was up to. She had figured it out now, figured out that Draco was in for it.

"Later," Moira replied just as quietly turning around. She walked with Bella past Tom and Narcissa. Bella's sister followed them into the dining hall. Tom, uninterested in bonding, went away.

"How is Draco?" Narcissa inquired as she sat down opposite Moira. Bella took the seat to Moira's right.

"Speaking of Draco, do you two realize what trouble your two big mouths have got the pair of us in? The Dark Lord was not supposed to know I was with him. You'll see him tomorrow evening won't you?" She was annoyed at them. They were a Death Eater and a formerly prominent Death Eater's wife; could then not either lie or simply keep their mouths shut? "Draco's scared, tired all the time, paler than normal. He's eating less. Is that what you wanted to hear? I'd just gotten him to stop panicking when _he_ called me to him," both of the other women knew she meant the Dark Lord, "to inform me that he'd heard from _you" _she glared at Bella, "that I was seeing Draco regularly. Shit." She pushed her chair back from the table. "I'm going to bed." Narcissa looked sick but Bella seemed to have expected just such news.

"He'll be here tomorrow won't he Cissy?" she asked her sister, who answered yes in a quiet voice.

"It'd be better for him to stay at the school," Moira said as she passed Narcissa, "The Dark Lord isn't happy with him and he's still got work to do." Narcissa looked like she was about to be sick. That'd teach her to blab.

Moira's victory in making her point was dashed next morning when she woke up and realized that today was the first day Draco and the Tom would be in the same room together since Tom had learned that Draco's task had been shared. He was angry with Draco for failing twice because it put the whole plan into jeopardy. The more failures the more security, and Moira knew that Tom would teach Draco that. Damn. She would have to find a way to avoid that.

Narcissa, Bella, and Moira ate breakfast together and then Bella had to run off somewhere. She asked Moira if she wanted to join her, but Moira turned her down, knowing what she was up to. Narcissa was quiet. "How about a walk?" Moira suggested, tired of Narcissa's moping. Mrs. Malfoy nodded and she and Moira left through the back door to walk in the large space behind the Malfoy's house. "Look," Moira said after a while, "I'll do what I can for Draco. Just because you and your sister can't keep your mouths shut doesn't mean I want him hurt." Narcissa kept her eyes forward, but nodded in acknowledgement.

A short while later she departed Moira's side and reentered her house. Moira found a spot near a little stream and sat down there. She picked up pebbles and threw them into the water, watching the ripples on the surface. She noticed that sometimes small fish scattered away from her stones and it occurred to her that what she was doing might have been causing some disturbance to the underwater life. Thinking back to her situation, she came to the conclusion that sometimes disturbance was necessary. Surely she would disturb Tom's plan to teach Draco a lesson, but she had no doubt in her mind that that was a good thing. As far as the stones however, she stopped throwing them. There was no point risking hurting a little fish just to watch the ripples.

She had been out longer than she thought. It was past lunch time when she went in but she ate anyway. Narcissa was nowhere to be found and Tom was too annoying to seek so Moira ate alone in the dining hall. Jesus, the amount of money these people had shouldn't have been legal. A dining hall, with a table set to seat probably forty people? She had loved her parents, wouldn't have traded them for the world but even though they had been great people they could have never lived at Malfoy Manor. Why was it that the bad people had the grandest houses?

Waiting. Thinking. What a way to spend a day. It was dark by the time Draco walked in the door. Moira went to meet him and Narcissa came downstairs then too. Draco's aunt was right behind him. She had apparently Disillusioned herself so as not to be seen on the platform. Leave it to Bella to go frolicking around in public.

"Hey," Moira said quietly to Draco. He looked very tense.

"Draco," Tom spoke from behind them. Draco looked up at him, his eyes wide with fear, Narcissa spun to face him, looking as though she was forcing herself to stand between Tom and her son. Bella walked around Draco, towards Tom. She looked like nothing was troubling her, not even the prospect of Tom performing the Cruciatus Curse on her nephew. Moira gripped Draco's forearm and looked at Tom as well. She knew the look on her face must have shown how angry she was about to become. Draco glanced once down at Moira. He was standing rigid; his arm shook in Moira's hand as they all waited. "Come. Speak with me."

Draco swallowed. "I'll go with you," Moira said as quietly as she could, watching Tom turn and walk away toward a private room. He looked at her. Narcissa had begun to cry.

"Cissy?" Bella had turned to her sister. "Cissy, do not weep."

"Ssh, Narcissa," Moira said. "You'll make him angrier." Moira released Draco's arm and backed away as his mother flung her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. "It's alright, Narcissa. Shut up now. Bella, take her." She pulled Narcissa's arm from around Draco, who reached up and took his mother's hand.

"I'll be ok," he said, though his voice was choked.

"Draco." Voldemort's voice was imperative. Draco took one more shaky breath and went with Moira to join Voldemort. "Not you. You must stay here. This is a man's conversation," Tom said to Moira putting his arm in front of her as she made to pass him into the room. Draco turned to look at her.

"Uh huh," Moira glanced at Tom before pushing his arm aside and walking into the room. "All three of us are involved. We're all three responsible. Man's talk, really?" Tom walked in and used his wand to close the door.

"All three of us are responsible? Is that what you've just said?"

Moira nodded. "Yes. You assigned this task to Draco, he doesn't know how to complete it. Either you should've assigned it to someone else or he should've figured out a long time ago how to complete it. And I've disobeyed you by helping him. We're all responsible for this not working out the way you wanted."

"I am giving you the opportunity now to leave. I suggest you take it." She looked back up at him defiantly.

"I'm not going," Moira looked just with her eyes at Draco. "I'm staying here. I don't want you to hurt him."

"You're standing up against me for Malfoy's son?" His voice was disbelieving. Draco looked at her; both of them remembered Draco's prediction that she would be in more trouble because she was defending _him _not someone else.

"I told him I would."

"Go." Both of them looked at Draco. Moira didn't move. "Moira go! We're both in enough trouble as it is without you making it worse for yourself."

"You see?" Voldemort spoke to Moira, "He's brave. Do as he says." She glared at both of them and when she didn't move, Tom raised his wand, pointed it first at the door then at Moira who felt herself lifted off her feet. He was moving her through air.

"It was my idea," she said. Tom let her fall to the ground and closed the door again with his wand.

"What was your idea?" He asked very quietly, moving closer to her.

"That last attempt. With the poison. I persuaded Draco to do it. I thought it'd work."

"Shut up!" Draco said forcefully but Voldemort turned his want on Draco, who fell to the floor due to the force of his spell.

"This is true?" Tom took another step in her direction, "You aren't lying?"

"I never lie," she said, forcing thought and feeling out of her head in preparation to make sure Tom could not see anything in her head that she didn't want him to see. He looked at her for another few moments but then, seeming satisfied, turned to face Draco.

"But you...You were instructed to complete this task alone, unaided, were you not, boy? And you attempt to conceal her assistance from me?" Shit. She had made it worse.

"Yes, sir," Draco said, keeping his eyes down. He would not tell Voldemort that Moira had lied. He understood why she had done it and he knew not to play tricks on the Dark Lord. "I just thought...she...she's smarter-,"

"I do not wish to hear explanation. You will learn, as your father learned, what happens when one of my servants disobeys a direct order. _Crucio!_" Draco yelled and curled up on the floor at Voldemort's feet, twitching.

"No!" Moira shouted, getting to her feet and hurrying to stand between Draco and the Dark Lord. "Stop!" She closed her hand around Voldemort's, distracting him long enough to break the curse. She could hear Draco panting behind her, struggling for breath.

"How dare you!" Tom shouted at her. "How dare you interfere!"

"It's what I do best," Moira said as Voldemort raised his wand. He used the same spell to lift her again, but this time he slammed her hard into the wall behind her. She slid down it to the floor. She did not move as Voldemort turned again to Draco.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: Bellatrix is a creeper, poor Naricssa, Voldemort's such an ass and Draco and Moira are just there trying to be awesome in a world full of suck. Moira's not Mary Sue-ish is she? Read and Review.


	9. Friends

Chapter 9: Friends

The next thing Moira remembered was being pulled gently off the floor into a sitting position and spoken to in a quiet voice: "Moira? Moira, are you alright? Wake up."

"Mmm," just a noise to let whoever it was know she was conscious again. She heard a sigh of relief. "Draco!" she opened her eyes quite suddenly to see him.

"Me," he shrugged. He looked pale and he was shaking worse than he had been earlier. Moira looked around. "He's gone. He left a moment ago."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make him angrier at you. I thought-," she spoke quickly, trying to explain herself, make him understand as soon as possible what her intentions had been.

"Ssh. Stop." He put a finger to her lips in the universal 'ssh' sign. "It's alright. I know what you were trying to do. That's why I didn't say anything." His eyes moved from her face to the wall behind her. "You're bleeding. Are you alright?" Moira looked too at the wall. She and Draco could both see the small, dark red spots that shimmered in the candlelight.

Moira waved her hand carelessly. "I'm fine. It's easy to mend."

"Are you dizzy? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to pick you up right after you've been smashed to the ground."

She chose to ignore his question. "How long was I out?" This would also determine the amount of time Draco and Tom had been 'alone' having their 'man's conversation'.

Draco knew what she was doing and he wouldn't let her make her guilt worse by giving her a definite answer. "Well I didn't look at a clock. It was a few minutes."

"Shit. This shouldn't have happened. Where are Bella and your mother?"

"I heard him say as he left that they aren't to come in here. We're to be left alone." Moira looked at Draco, trying to comprehend why that would be the case. Probably Tom wanted them to deal with their injuries and residual pain without the help of the sisters.

"Nice," Moira muttered to herself.

"Do you know what I think?" Draco asked.

"Hm?"

"I think we're friends." Moira snorted. What brought that into his head after all that had just happened? "No I'm serious." He appeared to struggle to find the right words. "I think we were friends before now. I mean...look at us! If we weren't friends before now we wouldn't have done that."

"I see," she said. They looked at each other; Draco seemed a little confused maybe even worried, like maybe he'd said something wrong. She smiled at him. "Yeah. Yeah I think we're friends." He smiled broadly back at her. She reached back and put her hand on the back of her head. She could feel a cut there, which stung when touched. She placed the palm of her hand over the cut and Draco watched as a bright white light glowed behind her, coming from her hand. When the light dimmed again, Moira drew her hand away and looked at it. There was no blood. She reached back again to check that her injury was healed.

"What did you do?" Draco asked.

"I healed it. See?" She turned to show him the back of her head.

"Without a wand? Where's your wand?"

"Haven't you ever heard that if you're a wizard at all you should be able to channel your magic through almost anything? A wand just makes it easier. I gave my wand away a long time ago and taught the creature I gave it to to do some things with it. In exchange, he taught me about some of the tricks of the trade of his kind."

He stared at her. "Remember what you said about you being unusual?" She nodded. "Do you...do you think you might have understated that a little?" He sounded sarcastic as he fought back a smile. Moira laughed. When she stopped Draco asked, "So, you're ok now right?"

Moira nodded, "And you?" She put her hand on his forearm to find that he was still shaking. Her eyes dropped to where her hand lay and she looked concerned.

"The funny thing about that curse is that the minute it's lifted the pain is gone."

"I know that," Moira said, earning a concerned look for herself from Draco. "But it doesn't mean you're good to go straight afterward does it?"

"We've been sitting here a while. I'm fine. Promise." He stood up, perhaps slightly slower than he usually would have, and then pulled Moira to her feet as well. "See?"

"It seems I've underestimated you young Mr. Malfoy."

"Don't call me that. Since when do you ever call me by my last name?"

"Too formal for you, sir?" She smiled playfully at him as he pulled his hand from hers, to wrap that arm around her head.

"Yes. Yes it is."

"Get off!" She pushed at his arm, then tried to twist out of his grip. "Ah, Draco. Fine I'll call you that. Now let go!" He let her go, laughing. She gave herself time for one deep breath before she pushed him over, back to the floor. Both of them hit the ground with a loud crash.

"No fair!" Draco yelled as they mock-wrestled on the carpeted floor.

"Don't care!" Moira said back. They both heard the loud rap on the door followed by indistinct whispering and a muffled scramble on the other side. These sounds froze both of them instantly.

"My mother," Draco explained, again standing up and reaching out a hand to pull Moira up as well.

"Here, wait. Fix this." She stopped him as he made for the door and straightened the tie around his neck. "Torture's such a bitch. All your clothes get messed up." He snorted and lifted his head so she could see what she was doing. "I know she's your mother and you don't need to wear a tie to get her approval but if you look like you did when you walked in here, she'll see that you're alright."

"Clever. Do I look alright then?" He stepped back.

"You're in your own house. It doesn't matter if your hair's messy. It looks better that way anyhow."

"Thanks for your, er, candor?"

"Look it up Draco, after you talk to your mum." She spun him around and gave him a friendly push toward the door. He stopped.

"Come on," he gestured for her to come with him and she did.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: What do you think? Give me some feedback.


	10. Flying

Chapter 10: Flying

Draco and Moira spent most of the Easter Holidays in each other's company. Moira wasn't happy with Tom, and would therefore not be running off to do him any favors anytime soon. Draco thought she sounded crazy saying things like that, but he liked being with her so he didn't complain.

He had been given school work to do over the two week break and Moira usually dragged him outside to do it there. He'd sit with a textbook open on the grass, some parchment on his knee, a quill in his hand and an ink bottle perched somewhere, while she sat or lay down looking up at the sky, beside him. Moira was better than any textbook though. He asked her sometimes to explain the contents of the book, or to help him find an answer and she always knew it, confidently and unquestioningly, and she could always explain it to him so that he could write it down.

"What house were you in at Hogwarts?" Draco asked, writing down an answer one day.

"Ravenclaw," she answered, her eyes gazing at the clouds overhead. "Why?"

"Just wondering. I sort of figured that was it."

She smiled, "If you figured, why'd you ask?"

"Because you're a Death Eater and I'd guess based only on that that you were in Slythering, and you're also brave bordering on insane which means you could've been in Gryffindor. But I guess fitting all three means you could've been in Hufflepuff doesn't it? I guess I didn't figure." He had stopped writing and was looking at her.

She didn't react right away but considered what he had said. Then she looked at him and smiled. "You figured it could have been any one of them. Clever."

"I try," he shrugged and went back to work. There was silence between them, but it was a comfortable silence. Those awkward silences where both people cast around for something ultimately useless to say did not exist for them anymore. Moira grew restless as she lay in the grass. It was itchy but she didn't want to distract Draco so she remained still and quiet. "Hm?" Draco looked over at her. He seemed to sense that she wanted to move. She jumped a little, surprised that he had noticed even though she hadn't moved. "What's up?"

"Nothin'," Moira answered, sitting up. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, of course you are," he sounded sarcastic as he folded his parchment and quill inside the heavy textbook. He corked the ink bottle and stood up. "I've got another two weeks to finish this. Let's go." He held out both his hands and pulled her up.

They walked side by side around the house and entered a small room on the side. Moira passed a hand over a candle, lighting it magically. Draco stood a little further inside the room beside a black and silver broomstick. "Here," he said, taking it off the stand and tossing it to her. She caught it and looked at it.

"Nimbus 2001," she read on the handle. "Wow, very impressive, Draco." He shrugged and took a less flashy broom off another stand.

"It's no Firebolt," he countered.

"Oh, I see how it is. You get the good one," she messed with him.

"No. This is a Comet 260." She blinked and looked at him, making him grin as he headed outside. She blew out the candle and followed him.

"You don't have a Firebolt? What kind of filthy rich kid are you?" He gave her a fake glare and mounted his broom. She followed suit and they kicked off from the ground. "You're a Seeker, right?" Moira asked.

"Yeah. Did you play Quidditch?"

She nodded. "I was a Beater for Ravenclaw when I was at school and if I wasn't so busy with all this," she referred to her work between being a Death Eater and a member of the Order, "I'd have tried for Scotland."

"Why Scotland?"

"They're blue," she answered simply, "I'd get to wear blue again."

"If that's the case I'll play for Ireland."

She laughed, "Then you'd really be Slytherin. Silver eyes and green robes."

"Silver? They're grey." Moira rolled her eyes.

"Have an imagination." She spun around in the air and took off away from him. It was wonderful being able to let off some of their pent up tension by flying as fast as they could through the evening sky. Moira was faster and she led Draco over the tops of trees further and further away from the Manor. She looked back every so often to make sure he was still there and after they had flown for a good half an hour, she stopped and turned ninety degrees. He slowed and stopped, still facing the same way they had been traveling. "Want to trade?"

"Trade brooms?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, so you can lead."

"We're flying."

She gave a huge fake jump of surprise. "Whoa! Holy shit! look at that! We are flying!" She dove toward the ground, avoiding tree branches as she went, and then pulled up on the handle, hard to stop herself face planting into the ground. She dismounted and waited for Draco, who landed a moment later. "Here you are." She handed him the broom she had been riding.

"If you lose me, send up sparks alright?" He gave her a cocky grin as he mounted the faster broom. She stuck her tongue out at him as she followed him through the trees up into the sky.

Moira hadn't noticed just how quickly she had been flying when she was the one on the Nimbus. He really was fast and she could see him being a good Seeker. He was quick, agile, light, and knew what he was doing in the air. It seemed to be easier for him to be up here in the sky, 200 feet from the ground, than it was for him to sit still long enough to get his homework done, or even to be in his own house. That last bit might have been because of the company currently inhabiting his house. Moira followed him, flying in a straight line. He was having fun, swerving and looping, so she wasn't far behind him.

"You alright?" Draco stopped just as she had earlier. She had to brake very quickly and actually ended up a foot or so in front of him.

"Fine," she said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He looked surprised that she had kept up. "You'll go faster if you fly in a straight line."

"Will I?" He grinned deviously, pulled his broom up and went speeding towards the clouds. Moira laughed as she chased after him. She flew far to his left, so far that he could no longer see her when he looked around. He slowed down, feeling confident that he had lost her, and leveled his broom, riding parallel to the ground below once more. Moira circled around behind him and then sped up and rammed him with her shoulder stopping right beside him.

He yelled and slipped sideways on his broom. "Hey! No plummeting to your death." She grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Ok, ok lesson learned. I'll stop being such a cocky bastard." That hadn't been her intention, it'd just been a Beater-instinct-driven game for her, but it was funny.

"I've grown used to your cockiness."

"I'm gonna guess that's not a good thing?"

"I coulda knocked you off just now if it was really a problem."

He had started looking around. The sky had grown dark, even up in the clouds, while they had been flying. Wait a moment...even in the clouds? "Moira we just flew through cloud." She seemed about ready to give him a sarcastic reply but he continued, "We should be freezing and soaked to the skin."

"There are spells to prevent that," she answered him. "I bet it can beat you to the ground."

"Yeah ok," he said skeptically. Moira grinned at him and then pointed the handle of her broom towards the ground. "Hey!" Draco said as she took off away from him. "Wait! You're not supposed to do that!" She shouldn't be flying straight toward the ground. She'd slide off the handle. "Moira, wait for me!"

"I told you I'd beat you to the - Whoa!" The tip of her broom had touched the ground and Moira had been forced to duck her head and push away from the broom or risk smashing her face into the dirt. She landed on her back and did not get up, but Draco could tell as he landed much more gracefully beside her that she was laughing.

"You're insane. Are you alright?" She held up one hand to him, indicating that he should pull her up but when he took her hand she pulled him down to the ground beside her.

She coughed but kept smiling as she said, "You're not supposed to pull someone up if you think they're injured. Haven't you taken safety classes?

"Funnily enough they don't offer those to Death Eaters."

"Wow," Moira said. "but they might now that the Ministry's on our side."

"Our side?"

"Our side. This side. The Dark Lord and all that." He was looking at her, somewhat surprised maybe even a little shocked. "What?"

Draco struggled to find the right words. "Well...we never talk about it like it's our side do we?"

"Whose side are we on then?" It was a perfectly innocent question.

"You ask like I speak for both of us."

"Alright then. Don't answer."

"It doesn't matter does it? He's not planning for me to succeed. And if I fail he'll have an excuse to kill all of us. Then we won't be on a side and we won't need safety lessons."

Moira gave a forced laugh. "That was morbid. Hey!" she said as the reality of what he had just said hit her, "Don't talk like that." She moved onto her side so that she was looking at him rather than the sky, and propped her head up on her hand, "You're not going to fail. That's why you're repairing the cabinet isn't it? If you can't or don't want to, someone else will be able to, won't they?"

He had been gazing at the clouds too, but looked over at Moira before he said, "I don't want to. I know I don't want to. What you said about how killing him kills hope - I don't even want to let them in so someone else can kill him. I have friends at Hogwarts and I don't want the others to get near them. But I don't want to die."

"Well shit. It sounds like you've got yourself a dilemma." She rolled onto her stomach and then pushed herself up onto her knees. "Come on. We're gonna walk. Grab your broom." She stood up and walked to where the Comet 260 was sticking handle down in the earth.

"By the way," Draco said, walking over to her as she pulled the broom from the dirt, "You have a dilemma too. We're in this together now."

"Oh yeah?" Moira asked, starting to walk and rubbing the handle of the broom with her sleeve as she went. "Voldemort's orders?"

"Hey," Draco said uncomfortably, "Watch it with the name. But yes. He says now that you know about it you're to come with me, help me repair the cabinet but not help me with the other task and tell him how it's going. The others are gonna need some kind of advanced notice on when to be ready to go to Hogwarts."

"Aha. Did you tell him that was the plan all along?"

"No I was too busy biting my tongue to be a wise arse."

"Ew. You bit your tongue?" He looked at her like 'of course I did. Why does that surprise you?' "Well that'll make things much easier. I get to hang out with you at Hogwarts and I have an excuse to ignore him from now until that cabinet's fixed. I'll just have to make sure the old man doesn't see me because I'm supposed to be doing other stuff for him. The old man is Dumbledore."

"Yeah. Yeah I got that. Hey...er... Moira listen, did you hear me when I said earlier that you're crazy?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," both of their tones were dripping with sarcasm, "Actually, sir, I heard you so well that I remembered you said 'insane' not crazy."

"Well done!" He clapped her on the shoulder. "But seriously, I don't recommend you ignore him. He won't be happy about that."

"I'm not happy with him at the moment, so I will ignore him. That's what he gets for throwing me into a wall and torturing you." Draco looked like he didn't think that was such a good idea, but he let it go, knowing by now that if Moira was set on something, there was very little he could do to change her mind.

The walked in silence for a while, each in his or her own head. It had grown very dark indeed during their flight/walk and Moira checked her watch. It was nearly ten o'clock. She would not suggest that they return to Malfoy Manor. She wouldn't make her friend think of that place before he was good and ready to. It was a clear night, warm but with a breeze that would make flying back seem chilly. Draco stopped and turned to Moira. He sighed. "Come on. My mother will be worried." He mounted his broom and they kicked off together.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: Hey loves. Just thought I'd let you all know that she's Moira pronounced Maura but I met this chick once whose name was spelled that way and I thought it was cool. Ja she's Moira but it's not like Moyra. OK just sayin' Tell me what you think. I like her comment about "What kind of rich kid are you?"


	11. On the Train

Chapter 11: On the Train

At the end of two weeks, Narcissa accompanied Draco and Moira to King's Cross Station. Moira had put a Disillusionment Charm on herself and had told Draco not to let his mother know that he could still see her. He'd looked confused at this but she would explain it to him later. He understood and let it be.

Moira's belongings were in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, so all they had to carry were Draco's things. He had a small case with him for the few books he'd brought home. They found an empty compartment and sat down opposite each other. At eleven o'clock, the train let off a loud whistle and they began to move. It was a while before either of them spoke. They were tired; traveling was always tiring.

She hadn't seen Draco's homework but eventually he started asking her questions as he looked it over, making sure it was all correct. She answered them and he never ceased to be astounded and how much she knew. He asked her how she knew about everything he was asking without ever consulting a book. "I've read the books," she replied. "I just remember the stuff I guess. That basic stuff you're doing."

"This is basic?" He held up the paper he had been looking at. "This is N.E.W.T. level. That's not basic."

"It's in my lineage."

"Your lineage?" Now she had to be kidding. Her lineage?

"Yeah. I've got a cousin who does all this stuff in his sleep. I guess it sort of runs in my blood that I know all this and I'm good at it. That and I've gone beyond N.E.W.T. level without books and I needed to know how to do that stuff without consulting one."

"Speaking of that: why can I see you with this Disillusionment Charm and no one else can?"

"It's easier for me that way. I can sleep with the Charm on and not have to worry about putting it on every time I leave the Room. I just say the spell and make sure the magic knows not to block me from your sight. When I have it on no one else can see, hear, or feel me around. It's a special Charm, one I came up with after N.E.W.T."

"Show off," he joked.

"You're jealous and you know it."

"No. I have you helping me. I don't need to be jealous of you knowing everything if we're on the same side." She rolled her eyes, thinking that what he was saying was not a very good way to be; he should want to learn, not simply finish the work he'd been set. He understood what the look on her face meant, "I am learning this stuff, you know. Promise. It's just weird that you know all of it."

"You haven't spent much time out of Slytherin House have you? A lot of Ravenclaws are smart like me."

"The best girl in my year is in Gryffindor and she's smart, don't get me wrong, but not like you. Nor does she have your guts." He didn't like Hermione Granger but he could not deny that she was the best witch in the year.

"Referring to my lovely chat with our favorite Dark Lord?" She always had something clever to say.

"It was less a lovely chat than a stand off," Draco countered.

"True. Are you finished reading that?" She indicated his homework.

"Want to look it over?" She held out her hand and he passed her the parchment. She curled up on her seat, leaning against the windowsill. Draco sat, staring out the window, waiting.

"You're good," Moira said after she had read the sheet. "It's right."

"Yeah?" He took the sheet back, looking mildly surprised.

"Did you not expect it to be right?"

"I guess not. Didn't you ever do that? You write something down, thinking it's right, and then get it back only to find out that it's not?"

She looked genuinely confused. "No." He rolled his eyes.

"Of course not, Miss I Read the Book." She laughed.

"It does help."

The compartment door opened and Draco jumped, probably worried the woman pushing the trolley thought him insane for talking to himself. "Anything off the trolley, dear?" she asked him in a sweet, non-judging voice.

Draco's eyes flicked to Moira, who shrugged. He asked for some sweets, paid for them, and the woman continued down the train. "Here," Draco handed Moira a chocolate frog. She opened it, broke a piece off and ate it. "Could you make these?" Draco asked.

"Do I know the spell to make chocolate hop around like a frog? No. Could I figure it out? Yeah, of course. Would I? No, the cards are the best parts about these things. Look." She pulled out the card and showed it to him.

"You collect them?"

"No. I read them." He should have guessed. "Here." She handed him the card she had read. "Do you collect them?" He shook his head. "Then you should read them. And any questions you have you should look up, or ask me." Naturally she would offer to answer any question he came up with from reading the chocolate frog cards.

"You know how many of these things there are don't you?" She nodded. "And you've read them all and remember what each of them say?"

"No. But I've read a ton of them and you know how they always make references to the things that people have accomplished? Well I looked them up. Every time I came across something new in a card I read about it or asked someone. I think I remember most of them."

"Ok, so this one," Draco opened another frog, ignored it when it jumped aside, pulled out the card and held it up to Moira's face so that she could see the picture and he could read the paragraph on the other side.

"You're going to quiz me?" Moira asked, leaning forward to catch the frog before it jumped away. "Haven't we spent two weeks doing this already? Have you noticed whose card that is?" Draco flipped the card around and looked mildly surprised. "Awkward," Moira commented, breaking the frog apart.

Draco shrugged and turned the card around again. "It says that Dumbledore is responsible for finding the twelve uses of dragons' blood. What are they?"

"Two things before I tell you: one, those aren't written on the card, and two, you should know them."

"I know. You said you'll know about the stuff written on here and two I do know them...well some of them."

"Well Mr. N.E.W.T. Level, you should know all of them." She then rattled off the twelve uses of dragons' blood. "Proof enough?" He was looking at her and she took that to mean that it was. She broke off another piece of chocolate frog.

"So, with this Disillusionment Charm on you, does that frog appear floating in midair to someone looking in here?" he asked.

Moira shook her head. "Just like my clothes don't appear floating. But even if it did look like you were levitating a chocolate frog, that wouldn't be beyond your skill level. You could do that."

He rolled his eyes as if to say 'of course I could!' but them commented, "The way you eat those things is weird." Moira looked down at the broken, half-eaten chocolate frog in her hands.

"Am I supposed to shove the whole thing in my mouth?"

"I can't tell you why but a lot of the things you do are just strange." Moira nodded knowingly.

Most of the rest of the afternoon passed like this. Draco and Moira talked and laughed, messed around, made each other feel uncomfortable, laughed that off too, and generally enjoyed the fact that the train was mostly empty and that they were no longer at Malfoy Manor, constantly stalked by a living embodiment of insanity and evil.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: "Always seriously joking and rambunctiously soft-spoken"

Hmm, here's something fun, tell me where the quotes come from.


	12. Moira's Orders

Chapter 12: Moira's Orders

Moira took the first opportunity presented to her to speak with Dumbledore about what Draco had said to her. "He doesn't even want them here. He's afraid for himself, his family, and his friends here, should he actually let them in. But now we've been told that both plans must succeed. Draco's supposed to kill you, but I don't think he will and we have to let the other Death Eaters in here to take over the rest of the castle. Tom won't trust that to just Draco, Severus and me."

Dumbledore considered her for a long moment. "What has changed his mind?"

"Narcissa spoke to Bellatrix about me being here helping Draco and of course she told Tom."

"Who then punished Draco I suspect?" Moira nodded.

"And he'll do it again if we don't complete this task soon."

"You must wait. I am very close to finding another -,"

"Good. Do that quickly. Let me know when it's done and I'll let you know when the cabinet's repaired. I'll try to put it off until after term ends. Draco can stick around for a couple extra days. I'm relatively sure Tom won't mind. If there are purebloods here he won't want to hurt them." She didn't often give Dumbledore the orders but this was a special case. She was the medium between Dumbledore and Voldemort and she knew them both well enough to be able to make this decision.

Dumbledore nodded, which was honestly a relief for Moira.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: Very short but I think I'll post another one later today. Let me know what you think about this.


	13. Sectumsempra

Chapter 13: Sectumsempra

From the next day on life resumed as normal as possible. Draco attended classes, Moira talked with him, Albus, Severus, or Aberforth and generally ignored the burning when it occurred in her left arm. "What's the worst he can do?" Moira defended herself when Draco told her she should at least see what he wanted. "He's not gonna walk into Hogwarts. There's no way. And if I go to him he could do something...well rude, to put it mildly and I'd rather just avoid that until we've got this cabinet fixed."

"Rude, that's the word I was thinking of too," Draco told her sarcastically.

It was early on in the term when Draco figured out what was wrong with the cabinet. Moira had known but not said anything. She had wanted Draco to be the one to discover it because it would follow Dumbledore's plan of repairing the cabinet slowly and, Moira knew, make Draco proud. He had shown her the damaged part and proposed a means of fixing it.

"That'll probably work," Moira said, though she was not looking at him. She wouldn't lie to him, but he had figured this out much quicker than she had expected.

"What's wrong?" The happy look that had been on his face a minute before was gone and had been replaced with a look of concern.

"We've talked about how you don't want to do this especially not with your friends in the castle haven't we?" He nodded and she continued, "So...what do you say we wait to fix this until the end of the year?"

"What if we're wrong? What if what we think will fix the cabinet doesn't fix it?" Moira didn't have the heart to tell him that she knew his plan would work. "Why don't we fix it as soon as we can to make sure it works and then tell the others that it'll be ready like the second day after term ends?" She considered this, her eyes gazing off into space. That would work just as well in theory.

"We can do that. We'll just have to be very careful that Tom doesn't figure it out ahead of time. He'd be angry. We'll tell them at the end of term though, not now. They'd get suspicious and test the other cabinet more frequently."

Draco agreed and they spent the next few weeks in the Room every chance they got. It was very frustrating because Draco's first idea had been wrong, which truly threw Moira for a loop because she had been sure it would work. As far as she knew, Dumbledore had never touched the cabinet so he would be of very little help. This task now became very personal to Moira. She had never been unable to repair something and she swore that this cabinet would not be different.

Pressure was building on them to fix the cabinet soon or have another go at Dumbledore. They had agreed that Moira actually helping Draco could hurt them both in the end and another instance like the one at the beginning of the Easter Holidays was not one they wanted. Draco had been so focused on repairing the cabinet that he had not given Dumbledore another thought. He was under the impression that repairing the cabinet meant that the moment would present himself or someone else would take a shot and Dumbledore and he would never even have to. Had he intended to wriggle out of having to kill him...not exactly; had he been expecting that he should try again to kill Dumbledore...no.

He began to panic again, even more so because Moira was around more and more infrequently. What was she up to? He hadn't actually been able to figure any of this out on his own. What was she doing taking off on him when it was supposed to be crunch time?

Draco found refuge away from the cabinet, a very solid reminder of the trouble he was facing, and the prying eyes and ever-listening ears of his nosy classmates in the boys' bathroom on the sixth floor. He was leaning against the sink. It had taken all his energy and will power not to break down in the corridor but he hurried to the sink when he entered the bathroom, loosening the silver and green tie around his neck. He put his hands on either side of the sink an leaned over it, afraid he was about to be sick as he cried.

"What's wrong?" said a girl's voice from behind him. Had he not been shaking with sobs, Draco would have turned around, wand drawn to see who had entered the room. He knew who the girl was, though he had never actually heard her speak before. He ignored her. How she had found him there did not concern him. Moaning Myrtle, annoying as she could be with her constant crying and flooding of the fourth floor corridor was nothing to worry about. "Don't..don't...Tell me what's wrong..." she said kindly to him. "I can help you..."

How on earth she expected to be able to help him when she didn't even know what was wrong he had no idea. And the thought suddenly crashed around him that he was thinking like Moira. He had wasted so much time trying to fix a problem he couldn't even see that now he had no time and he was sure to pay dearly for it. This brought a new wave of shaking, sickness and sobs to him. "No one can help me," he told her, "I can't do it...I can't...and unless I do it soon...he says he'll kill me..." He couldn't have explained it to her but it was also the fact that the lives of at least three other rested on his ability to perform this task. He would later reflect that he could not exactly expect her to sympathize with him, what with her being dead herself and having experienced such misery within these walls.

He heard something behind him, a footfall, which he knew could not be made by a ghost. He gasped once for air, exhaled and looked up into the mirror in front of him. _Potter!_ He drew his wand and turned on the spot, aiming a hex at Harry Potter, who dodged and fired back a moment later. The curse missed him, and Draco took aim again and shot another curse at his opponent. Myrtle was yelling, protesting their fight but he did not care. He had known Potter had been following him but this could not be. He couldn't have Potter leaving this room having heard what he himself had said. It would give too much away.

Potter's second curse smashed a pipe beside Draco, beneath Myrtle, who screamed (ironically as she A. could not be hit with the curse and B. so often flooded her own bathroom two floors below) as water began pouring from the broken pipe. Draco felt water rush around his feet, splashing up onto the hem of his robes. They were sure to draw someone to this spot if the explosions and Myrtle's yelling continued. "Cruci-," he shouted, thinking that it would both immobilize and silence Potter and teach him not to go meddling in things that didn't concern him.

But Harry had a trick Draco did not expect. He had dropped to the floor to avoid Draco's curse and then shouted something, out of the ordinary by the standards of this duel because all but one of their curses had thus far been nonverbal, that sounded like "Sectumsempra!" Draco did not listen closer to the incantation, nor did he have time to duck. As the curse struck him squarely in the chest he staggered backward and then felt a searing pain across his face and chest.

Pain and shock flooded Draco's senses and he seemed to forget how to use his legs. He fell to the stone floor, his fall softened slightly by the buoyancy of the water. Draco was too busy seeing the blood soak his white shirt to notice the panicked look on Harry's face or the almost apologetic note in his voice as he staggered to where Draco was now lying on the floor.

Myrtle was yelling again, as loudly as she could, "Murder! Murder in the bathroom! Murder!" Potter was mumbling words Draco was not listening to as he knelt at his side. Draco thought back on these agonized moments later and the though crossed his mind that Potter had probably not even known what the curse was going to do. He didn't like him, but he could guess that he would not have used this kind of curse, even when faced with the Cruciatus Curse.

Suddenly Professor Snape was there beside them both. Draco heard a splash as Potter was pushed aside. He saw a glimpse of black as Snape's sleeve flashed in and out of his blurred vision and heard his Head of House saying something, a longer incantation. The blood stopped rushing from the wounds as Snape finished his spell. Draco felt pressure on the injured areas where Snape was wiping away the blood, then heard his voice again, repeating the spell. A strange tingling followed this time around the edges of his wounds. He could not see the skin but when he felt it gently with his fingertips a moment later, he realized that it seemed to have healed. There was a ridge where the blood had been pouring but nothing more than that.

Snape allowed him a moment's rest before helping him to his feet. Draco heard something about the hospital wing, scarring, and Dittany but he was still dizzy, and his vision and brain were still foggy so he let Snape lead him away.

Disclaimer: I'm making sure to put this here because I definitely used some direct quotes in this chapter. Hey J.K. Rowling (haha like she reads this *feels self-conscious*) thanks for writing such fantastic books to quote and write fanfiction about. :) We little people love and salute you.

AN: ok so I didn't post 2 yesterday. I considered it but then felt like I'd be a stalker if I ha so...yeah. Also, I won't be posting again until the 12th or 13th. I'm going sailing from the 4th till the 12th so yeah, sorry for that but I feel like this is an ok place for a little cliffhanger right? I mean we all know what happens, you guys just don't know how Moira reacts but you'll see shortly here. :) ok, hope you've enjoyed this until now and see you in about a week. Wish me luck sailing and thanks again for reading.


	14. In the Hospital Wing

Chapter 14: In the Hospital Wing

"I'll kill him!" Moira said viciously, pacing around Dumbledore's study. Snape was recounting the story of Harry and Draco's duel and after this last statement Dumbledore was staring, shocked at Moira. She stopped pacing and unintentionally glared at him. "You know what I mean." Snape ignored her and continued the story now talking about some book and his suspicions about Potter. Moira wasn't listening, but fuming instead. "I mean...who does that? Who experiments with spells like that on anyone but a test dummy? Professor Dumbledore, I think something's wrong with your boy."

"Moira," Dumbledore said, trying to be serene but Moira ignored his tone, "Why don't you go and see to Draco? He'll be glad to see you. This only happened an hour or two ago. He's still in the hospital wing."

"You sound like Voldemort," she muttered, thinking of how Tom had tried to kick her out for his 'man's conversation' with Draco. Dumbledore seemed not to care about the insulting comparison; he knew she didn't truly mean it but Snape snapped at her. "You aren't helping. In fact you're distracting. Go." She turned aggressively to him. Who was he to tell her what to do? He had formerly been her teacher, and she had been good in his class, but she had been out of school for several years now. She had been about to tell him where he could go when Dumbledore spoke.

"Go see your friend," the Headmaster said gently to her. Her anger deflated immediately at those words, like helium being let out of a balloon. Why was she arguing with them? Why was she fuming about Potter? She should have been going to see Draco the minute she had learned of his injuries. Damn her pride. Why waste her time here in a battle of wills against Snape when she should be in the hospital wing. She gave Dumbledore one quick 'see you later' glance and left the room.

As she hurried down the spiral staircase, she put her Disillusionment Charm back on and when her feet hit the solid stone floor at the bottom of the stairs, she tore off in the direction of the hospital wing. The doors were open which was convenient for her as it would have been awkward for the doors to suddenly open of their own accord. She saw there was one bed with the hangings drawn around it and knew they were concealing Draco. She waited until the nurse was out of sight before pushing them back a bit, slipping past them, and closing them again.

Draco was not looking in her direction when she entered, and he appeared groggy and bleary eyed as he looked at her. He blinked several times trying to clear his vision as she sat beside him on the side of the bed. "How are you?" she asked after putting a spell on the surrounding area to prevent the nurse hearing Draco talking to...well no one as far as the nurse would tell, "You look like hell." He was still paler than usual and the curse seemed to have made it difficult for the gashes to heal. She could still see the mark on his cheek.

"That's about right," he said and actually managed a small smile. "I'll be alright." He paused, seeming unsure if he wanted to continue or not. He bit his lower lip, looking almost nervous, then said, "You're not going to leave again are you?"

She was stunned. He was genuinely nervous to ask her that and seemed apprehensive of her answer. It was several seconds before she spoke. "Look I'm sorry. I was off, trying to figure out a way to make that damn cabinet work-," This was perfectly true. She had thought a long time ago that she knew what the cabinet needed, but she had been wrong, twice now, and it was driving her mad.

"I know," he said, cutting across her, "but you'll stay here with me until she lets me go?"

Moira nodded. "Of course." He actually gave her a real smile at that and she laughed a little, and looked down. "Want me to kick his arse for you? 'Cause I will."

Draco laughed too, knowing her and her temper well enough to know that she would. "I think Professor Snape took care of it already. I heard Potter's got detention until the end of term. He'll miss the Quidditch match on Saturday."

"That'll teach him to use Dark Magic."

"Says a Death Eater," Draco joked.

She gave him a mock glare and said, "Just because you're wrapped up like a mummy from your chest to your waste does not mean I won't hit you." He rolled his eyes. Of course she'd say that.

"What am I supposed to say? You are, however unwilling. Like me."

"Ah! Shut up!" She whacked out at his arm but he blocked her and they had a sort of childish cat fight, both laughing.

"You're gonna scratch me with your long pretty fingernails!" he said and she immediately stopped their fight to look at her nails.

"What are you on about?" she asked, "I don't have long nails. Ow! No fair!" He had whacked her hand as she looked at it.

"The hell it's not fair!" He was smiling and trying to sit up so he could play both offense and defense from a better angle.

"Mr. Malfoy?" said Madame Pomfrey from the other side of the curtain.

"Ssh!" Moira said. She seized both his wrists and pinned him down, silently removing the spell she had used earlier. As the nurse pulled back the curtains Moira stopped pressing so hard on Draco's wrists, lest it look strange, like he was pressing his hands into the mattress.

Draco took the opportunity to sit up and Moira gave him a stern look. "I'll need you to take this." Madame Pomfrey handed him a small goblet of clear liquid. "It's the same as before. I'm going to keep you overnight, give you another dose of that in the morning and see how you are." Draco nodded. "Drink that before you go to sleep," she reminded him, "Goodnight." She turned and left, drawing the hangings closed behind her.

Moira immediately replaced the _Muffliato_ spell from before. Draco sniffed the smoking goblet and asked her, "You can drink this stuff?"

She nodded. "I don't expect it'll taste very good and if I were here I'd have stayed here to make sure you drink it. There's a spell you can put on it so when you drink it it'll sort of get absorbed into your blood. It's for when the wounds are fully closed up like your are now but when you know there's still damage, or there could still be damage deeper than you can see. Hold your nose and drink it." He looked from her to the little goblet in his hand, then pinched his nose and tipped the contents of the container into his mouth. He coughed and shuddered and Moira took the vial from him and set it on his nightstand. She grinned at him. "I told you."

"I didn't volunteer to drink it," he defended himself. Their playful banter escalated into playful striking within minutes, and that lasted for quite some time. Moira eventually caught Draco's wrists and held them fast. He twisted away from her but she held on and moved closer to him, preventing him from using his shoulders to help free himself. "Not fair!" He said, trying to push her, but she had gravity and years of training as a beater on her side. "Change of topic?" he suggested.

She laughed and let him go, sitting back again. "Tired?" she asked him, after a minute or two of sitting there silently. He looked it, and he blinked sleepily at her before answering.

"A little."

"Me too." She looked over at the space next to Draco's nightstand and the faint image of a large squishy chair appeared there. Draco watched curiously as the image became sharper and more real. Finally, Moira stood up and sat down on the chair, sinking comfortably into the leather cushion. Draco smiled at her as she pulled a lever to make the chair recline.

"I didn't mean you actually had to stay here, in the hospital wing with me. You can go sleep somewhere more comfortable if you want to."

"Do you see this chair? It's amazing, plus, I said I'd stay." She gave him a slight smile, which he returned. Something changed in her eyes and her smile faltered. Draco wondered what it was but before he could ask her, she spoke. "Moaning Myrtle was with you. She never leaves her bathroom. Why was she there?"

"Change of scenery?" Draco suggested, not really wanting to admit that he had been panicking again. She looked at him.

"If that's the kind of change in scenery she wanted there must be a whole lot more to her than I ever knew about." His eyes widened as he understood what she meant.

"Moira!" he said, sounding halfway between disgust and laughter, "that wasn't what I meant. She was talking to me." She gave him a 'go on' look, seeming to know where this was going. He took a deep breath and looked up at the dark ceiling. "She was offering to help." Moira looked concerned and spoke before he could continue.

"Look. We've talked about this. We're gonna be fine. You don't need to panic and consider accepting help from slightly sadistic perverted ghosts." She leaned forward and took his hand, lacing their fingers together and holding on tightly. "We're gonna be fine," she repeated. He was looking at her hand and even though she knew he had been, he didn't appear to be listening to a word she had said. "Go to sleep ok? You'll be better in the morning." she said after a pause.

"Thanks," Draco replied. She knew what he meant even if his thanks had been rather ambiguous. He turned onto his side and slept facing her and neither of them made a movement to disentangle their fingers.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: If you missed my updates I'm sorry but I'll just say that I had a fantastic time sailing and swimming around on three different reefs on my vacation. I'm pretty amazingly sunburnt but it's progressed to the itchy stage now so ...yeah. If ever you go swimming on the reef, avoid the moon jellyfish. They are nasty little bastards who sting you for no reason. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. No, Moira wouldn't actually kill Harry. She's just mad at him and face it, who wasn't mad at him when they heard this had happened? There are two more in this story. Let me know if you want me to post a sequel. :)


	15. Result

Chapter 15: Result

It was late June and Draco was alone in the Room. Moira had gone off somewhere and he stood, making the final touches to the repairs. He put a small, stolen, white bird into the cabinet, murmured the three words that would activate the cabinet, waited a moment, said the spell again, and finally opened the cabinet with a creak. The little white bird flew out at him, away from the cabinet. He jumped when the bird flew out, turned to watch its progress past him into the piles of junk and then grinned when he realized the cabinet was fully functional.

His face broke into a wider smile and he gave a loud yell of relief and excitement. He was safe. Moira was safe. As long as they could keep this to themselves for another two and a half weeks everything would be perfect. He wouldn't have everything he wanted, but he'd have the important things. His father would be released from prison, he and his mother would not be hurt and Moira would no longer have to risk her neck to keep him from harm.

It was then as he realized all this that he heard the door open. Immediately he shut his mouth and groped in his pockets. From one he drew a small pouch containing Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and from the other he drew his wand. He opened the pouch and dropped some powder onto the floor. Within an instant (hence the name he guessed) the room had gone pitch black. He then used the same spell he'd seen the Dark Lord use on Moira to locate whoever it was in the room, pick them up and throw them from it. Moira would have said something as she opened the door. She always did and she had told him that if anyone ever entered the room and didn't say anything he was to make them leave without actually revealing to them that he was the one in the room.

"Brilliant!" Moira said, beaming, when he told her about his success. He took her hand and pulled her over to stand in front of the cabinet.

"Look!" He put the same bird back into the cabinet, closed the door, drew his wand, said the incantation and they heard the _whoosh _that meant something had happened. He said the spell again and they heard a second _whoosh_. He pulled the door open and the poor bird flew out of it, barely avoiding their heads. Moira looked at Draco.

"Now we've just got to keep this under cover for a few weeks and we're done." Both of them jumped in surprise when the door of the cabinet slammed shut of its own accord and another _whoosh_ sound met their ears. Draco looked quizzically at Moira, who shrugged, and Draco pulled the cabinet open. Lying flat on the bottom was a piece of paper which read:

_Well done Draco. We are coming._

Draco and Moira read the note simultaneously and then looked up at each other at exactly the same moment. Panic was in both of their faces. How had they figured it out? How did the other Death Eaters know the cabinet was usable as soon as it had happened? Moira sighed. "I guess we're too talented for our own good," she said.

"He's not even here. Rosmerta told me." Moira had known about the Imperius Curse on the landlady for a long time and the coins they had been using.

Moira thought for a moment, then said, "We'll have to make that work for us. It's probably better that he's not here isn't it? We can set everything up before he comes back and just be ready." He looked at her. "Unless you want to run." It was a perfectly serious option. There was never a 'you don't have a choice' with Moira. She could always think of something. Draco shook his head.

"I don't want to risk all our lives just to keep us two temporarily safe." He sounded like he was about ready to be sick. "So," he took a deep breath. "What's the plan?"

They knew they had limited time to set up a plan and that whatever they set up had to be elaborate enough so that the other Death Eaters thought they had been planning it for a while but easy enough to remember so Draco and Moira didn't mess it up.

It was another half an hour before the Carrows, Greyback, and several others paraded into the Room of Requirement. "Moira!" Greyback greeted her and held out his arms, possibly expecting a hug. She never hugged him. She hated hugs as it was, most of all from him. She put up a hand to stop him advancing closer to her and warned him in a calm even voice:

"Come any closer and I will light you on fire." He let his arms fall to his sides.

"Only joking!" he said, "You know me, Moira, always joking." He was leering at her, his pointed yellow teeth visible.

"Oh yeah. You're really fucking funny," she told him sarcastically. In this crowd, especially with Moira involved, hostility was common. The Carrows both nodded to her as they passed. Moira instructed one of the Death Eaters to put the Dark Mark over the tallest tower and told her that Draco would be waiting for Dumbledore when he got there. Once the Mark was in the sky, she and the others were to come back down and stand guard.

The Carrows, Greyback, and the others went out into the corridor, but Draco and Moira stayed in the Room, informing the rest that they wanted to run over the plan one more time, while in reality looking at the cabinet and trying not to think of the damage they had just caused. When they were sure no one would hear them, Moira said flatly, "Well shit."

"Is that all you can say?" They were trying for some humor because if they didn't they would go mad.

"That and 'you're really fucking funny'."

He snorted with laughter. "He's a bastard." Moira nodded in agreement. There was a strange, uncertain silence, then Draco said, "We should go." Moira agreed silently and they left the room together.

Down several flights of stairs, a miniature battle had already begun. Spells and curses flew through the air, fired from wands or ricochetting off the stone walls. Moira had put a Disillusionment Charm on Draco as well so that the two of them could pass through the crowd unnoticed. Neither of them used magic other than a Shield Charm each as they ran through the Entrance Hall. Apparently one of the Death Eaters had the forethought to lead the Order members away from the door to the tower.

No other members had any idea what was about to happen other than Moira, Snape, and Dumbledore. Snape would be blamed because no one knew that Moira would be beside Draco other than Draco himself. She would remain Disillusioned until the Death Eaters were far away. Once Snape had been shunned by the rest of the Order and their allies, Moira would be the sole link between the Order and the Death Eaters. She would be the one to relay messages to Snape from the Order. This double agent business was risky and very tricky. The Order knew now that she and Snape sat in on meetings with Death Eaters, and they knew that she and Snape both had to give them some information, but once Dumbledore had been killed, they would not forgive her for passing any information to Snape. There was no room for error because if either side found out about what she was doing, she'd be in for it.

The astronomy tower was the tallest and they tore off towards it. They sprinted together up the spiral staircase and Draco magically opened it as Moira removed her Disillusionment Charm from here. He Disarmed Dumbledore, who stood against the opposite wall, looking very sickly indeed. Draco was visibly shaking too as he looked at Dumbledore, who greeted him serenely.

Moira stood beside Draco, listening to their conversation, wondering where on earth Harry had gotten to. She'd still like to give him a piece of her mind after that _Sectumsempra_ incident. How far could he have gotten? He and Dumbledore must have just landed here moments ago. Draco seemed to be on the same wavelength, for he asked Dumbledore who else was there. Subtly, Dumbledore changed the subject. Moira caught it, but Draco was having a tough time concentrating it seemed. He let the conversation slide easily from his question, to Dumbledore's.

They talked about Snape and Draco's voice grew louder, though Moira knew he wasn't intentionally being disrespectful. He was afraid and misinformed and he was trying to make himself feel more powerful. Draco smiled and stood taller when Dumbledore praised him for his cleverness in fixing the cabinet; he tactfully pretended not to know how he had repaired it. Moira watched the internal torture make itself apparent on Draco's face, in the way he chewed the inside of his lower lip thinking, in the way his eyes looked as Dumbledore told him he could protect him. Draco's eyes flicked to Moira, who stood silently next to him and invisible to the anyone in the world other than Draco.

They could hear fighting down below on the staircase and very suddenly the door burst open behind them. Greyback, Amycus, Alecto, and another Death Eater Moira didn't care enough about to know by name burst through the door, which then slammed closed behind them.

"Well done Draco, well done," Amycus praised. Greyback passed very close to Moira as he advanced onto the rooftop of the tower. He drew so close to her that she took a step toward Draco out of disgust. If it had been any other situation she knew he would have laughed and made some comment about how he was protecting her but his eyes were flitting between the newcomers (barring Greyback, whom Draco seemed to want to avoid), Moira, and Dumbledore.

"Do it, Draco," one of them said, but Draco was quite frozen.

Dumbledore was talking again, Moira wasn't fully attentive but she heard something about Greyback and how Dumbledore was surprised Draco had invited him. "I didn't..." Draco said, his voice strained, "I didn't know he was going to come-,"

Fenrir spoke over him, "I wouldn't miss a trip to Hogwarts..." he continued talking and to save Draco the shock of hearing what next passed his lips Moira drew closer to him.

"He's disgusting," Moira whispered in Draco's ear. She put her chin on his shoulder, looking over at Dumbledore. She knew the Headmaster would have already realized it had been a mistake that the Death Eaters were here so early. If they had more time or more privacy she would explain in more detail how it had happened but she knew Draco did not want her to leave his side. If she was to speak to Dumbledore now, she would have to change the Disillusionment Charm to block her from all sight of others with the exception of Albus, but she didn't want to.

She felt Draco turn his head very slightly in her direction so that he could see her but she stopped him. "Keep looking at Dumbledore. You're doing well. Snape'll be here in a minute and he'll finish him." He swallowed. "It was gonna happen anyway. There's nothing you can do now. There was nothing you could have ever done. Death is inevitable." She put a hand on his upper arm and squeezed it gently. It was funny that she didn't consider that Dumbledore would notice Draco's sleeve moving but he did and the very corners of his mouth went up in an understanding smile. He knew she was there, helping Draco just as she said she would.

Both Moira and Draco had been ignoring the proceedings. Draco merely stood there, covering Dumbledore with his wand as, for a second time, the door to the top of the tower burst open. Severus Snape emerged, his expression full of hatred and disgust as he looked at Dumbledore. His voice was weak as he pled with Snape, who raised his wand and cast the Killing Curse, which lifted Dumbledore off his feet and then allowed gravity to bring him to the ground.

Draco looked around to his left, away from Snape and the others as he felt Moira step quickly away from him. He had time for a quick 'what's up? Why did you step away?' look before he realized why. Snape had grabbed his collar and was pushing him through the door ahead of everyone else. Moira followed at Snape's heals and passed him to hurry along beside Draco as hit the last stair.

They could hear Harry throwing what Moira considered a tantrum (casting spells and the like and the retreating backs of the Death Eaters) far above them. Draco didn't care any more that his question from earlier had now been answered. Six of them trekked as quickly as they could through the castle. One had apparently been hit with one of Potter's spells. The Carrows and Greyback got separated from Draco, Snape, and Moira and they latter three ran through the corridors avoiding the mini-battle and the former three stopped to have a little 'fun'.

Moira had cast a Shield Charm over the three of them, which Draco had heard and seen her do, but Snape did not seem to care and missed curses and spells were bouncing off the Charm away from them. He hurried Draco across the room and out into the Entrance Hall. He was shouting orders and the rest but not waiting to see whether they obeyed them or not. They had pulled far ahead of Potter and the others and were headed for the Forbidden Forest.

As they drew near to the first trees they heard shouting behind them, then the sounds of spells flying. Thanks to Moira's Shield Charm the Stunner bounced back and whoever was casting them. "Run, Draco!" Snape gave him a shove in the direction of the trees. Moira spun around to see who was challenging Snape and saw Harry.

Disclaimer: Don't own the story or the characters and I certainly don't own the borrowed dialogue in here.

AN: Long AN this time. Brace yourselves:

The conversation between Draco and Dumbledore is of course better in the book but I didn't feel like writing out the two pages of text. To see the full dialogue go to 592 in _Half-Blood Prince_.

K guys, just one more chapter after this. Let me know if you want to see the sequel posted on here. Also look out for **Lunar Nexus**'s new story (which I do believe is currently nameless). I do believe Moira will be featured in it.

Guys I have a vague feeling like Jo must've had while publishing the seventh book. I don't have nearly as big a following as she does but I kinda want to prolong this story for as long as I can which of course is just rude for those of you who want to know the end. Anyway, let me know what you thought of this chapter or any of the ones proceeding this one and also tell me whether or not you want me to post the sequel on here. Thanks :)


	16. The Big Picture

Chapter 16: The Big Picture

"Wow," Moira said quietly, not noticing that Draco had taken several steps into the forest.

"Come on!" he hissed at her.

"He's a tenacious son of a -,"

"There's no time Moira! Come on!" He crossed the distance between them, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her with him into the trees. She stumbled backward for several steps until Draco was sure she wasn't going to return to watch Snape fight Potter. She squirmed away from him, turned to face the same direction he was facing, grabbed his hand to prevent them becoming separated, and they sprinted off together.

It was dangerous sprinting into the forest and night with very little light. Moira was holding what looked like a glowing ball in her hand, and Draco had lit the tip of his wand, but those things almost seemed to make their vision worse. Not only were they avoiding the very solid trees but also their shadows. "Where are we going?" Draco asked, completely out of breath, ten minutes later.

"Shit!" Moira skidded to a stop and spun around to face him.

"What?" he jumped and looked around, raising his wand to cast the light as far as he could.

Moira put a hand on top of her head and lifted her Disillusionment Charm. There was no need for it in here. "No. I meant I don't know where we're going and there's all kinds of stuff in her we don't want to meet."

"Excellent," Draco said sarcastically, leaning down and putting his hands on his knees. He took several deep breaths.

"I guess we're gonna have to get off the grounds somehow and then Apparate to Malfoy Manor. Sound good?" There was a rustle to her left, Draco's right and they both looked over immediately. Draco stood up straight again and directed the beam of light toward the spot. "Whoa!" Moira said, seeing the light glint off two pairs of eyes eight feet above the ground. "Put that down!" She swatted at Draco's hand and he lowered the wand.

"Why are you in our forest?" asked a very deep, calm voice.

"Um," stammered Moira, thinking, looking for something non-offensive to say. These creatures were very touchy.

"Answer!" said another, rougher voice. Draco jumped and turned his head; he had apparently not expected two.

Moira swallowed. "We're not here on purpose. Not that it isn't great but we really just want to get in and get out. See what I mean?"

"Yes human, we do see what you mean. Do you think us somehow denser than yourself? Our intelligence-,"

"No, not at all. I know you're all very clever which is why I'm sure you'll be perfectly understanding if we just trot on through here as quietly as we can. Sorry we bothered you. Good evening." She turned to walk away but froze as she heard an unmistakable sound of an arrow sliding into place in a crossbow.

"We do not suffer humans in our forest!" said the Centaur with the rough voice.

Moira sighed. "Do not!" said the first Centaur. "We do not harm the innocent."

"She is no foal!" said the other forcefully, as he shifted his bow to point as Moira; Draco raised his wand a little higher. "And he must be near enough 17." He nodded his head at Draco.

"You can't tell me that you can, in good conscience, shoot me and leave him to walk around in this forest alone?" She had abandoned her nervousness. What was the worst they could do? Shoot her? Ouch... but she'd get over it; the worst part about that would be the bruised ego that came with it. "Come on. If you're as reasonable and intelligent as you say you are, give us directions to the safest path you can think of that'll take us out of here and you'll never see us again."

Draco shot her a dirty look. _Good idea _he thought _Make them angry...angrier. _The Centaur she had spoken to pawed at the ground in annoyance and both Draco and Moira saw his finger move to the trigger of the crossbow.

"You can't shoot someone with a crossbow from ten feet away!" Moira told him, openly irritated now. "Come on now! It's not like we're asking for a lift to where we're going." Both of them looked appalled and offended that she would even suggest such a thing, even hypothetically. "We're asking for directions. If you can predict the future then I'm sure giving directions is easy."

"Hold your tongue, human girl!" said the second Centaur, who seemed to have a bit of a temper. Moira clamped her mouth shut and blew air out her nose in frustration. Her hands were clenched in fists at her side, and the little ball of light she had been holding earlier seemed to have exploded because it was now covering the back of her hand, moving around there like it was alive.

"We really are leaving," Draco said, his first words in minutes. "You don't even have to tell us how to get out. We'll just go." He sounded scared, but in control of his voice.

The first Centaur looked about ready to give in, while the second did exactly what Moira had just done, only his finger closed over the trigger on the crossbow rather than into a fist. "Sir, I don't mean to be rude but I will hex you into oblivion if you shoot her with that arrow!"

"Sir?" asked the first Centaur, looking curiously at Draco, who nodded. "You called me 'sir'. I have never been addressed thus by a human." Draco gave him an uncertain grin and shrugged. "Thank you," said the Centaur, "We will let you go from here." Moira stared first at him then at Draco. Since when was he the diplomat?

"I still don't like you." said the second Centaur, keeping his eyes on Moira.

"Well, you're a very pretty _pony _but I can't say I particularly enjoyed this chat with you either."

"You insolent-!"

"Ok! Ok!" Draco spoke over him as the first Centaur restrained the second. "We're just gonna go." He had moved over to stand in front of Moira (who was laughing quietly), facing her but he was looking over at the Centaurs. "Now!" He spun Moira around and made quite sure she walked away from the Centaurs.

It was a little while before Draco breached the subject he had been thinking of. "Didn't you say you like magical creatures?" Draco asked several minutes later.

"I get along with everyone, as long as they're not being a prick like that Centaur." Draco sighed. "Hey!" Moira exclaimed, looking behind her. Draco started to say 'What?' but she answered him, "We're off the grounds. We can Apparate."

They couldn't Apparate directly onto the Malfoy's property so they Apparated onto the end of their street and walked the rest of the way toward the house.

"Did you have to call him a pony? I mean, that's as bad as me calling that Hippogriff an ugly brute."

"That's what you did! Wow! All I'm saying is that you were so busy worrying about getting shot that you missed the big picture."

"What's the big picture?" He waited for an answer and when none came, he said, "Moira?"

"Hm? What?" She appeared to have lost interest in the conversation in a matter of seconds. He knew she was playing with him but he wanted to hear her creative answer.

"What's the big picture?"

"I have no idea." She kept a perfectly straight face and he rolled his eyes. "Hey look," she pointed up ahead. "You're home."

"I'm thrilled."

"Aw. Poor Draco." She smiled and put an arm around his shoulders. "Look on the bright side: You now have very little homework to do and today, we are the bringers of good news."

"It's the company."

"What? My company?"

"Shut up. I like your company." He kissed the side of her head and she stopped in her tracks to look at him. "I don't know why you're looking at me like that. I'm tired. Let's keep going."

Disclaimer: Don't own. Never have never will.

AN: Ooo Draco you weirdo. The sequel is well under way. I'm writing it for me at the very least but let me know if you want me to post it on here. There's a lot more Moira and Draco in the sequel. They're pretty cool. Reviews are much appreciated.

Sorry by the way for the delay. I've had a busy couple of days here and just haven't really gotten around to putting this up. I'll post the sequel when I'm done writing it. Also, I'm looking into posting a Troy-related story sooo if you're interested in that business look for it.


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